Brooklyn-based band Violens (pronounced “vy-lenz” – so as not to be confused with the stringed instrument) perform at NightLife on Thursday, May 31 with SF post-punkers Weekend. Get dreamy with the music-science-music sandwich.

Violens wrote much of their sophomore album True (Slumberland) while on tour. Though the band was founded in 2007 by Jorge Elbrecht (a producer, multi-instrumentalist, and founding member of the art company Lansing-Dreiden), they found themselves shifting toward a more collaborative method when tackling the songwriting for the next album. It makes sense if you think about a band that begins with a record and then transforms into a live act. Members play together nightly, songs begin to loosen and creative liberties are taken, stylistic influence begins to rub off and songs that may have been written by one person begin to chameleon into the commingling of the live players. So, Elbrecht’s initial solitary vision began to open up to include the insights of Iddo Arad (synths/guitar/vocals) and Myles Matheny (bass/guitar/vocals). But why stop there? Throughout 2011 Violens posted songs and ideas to a virtual songwriting diary on their website to keep an open dialog going with their fans. So, after a year of input from just about any and everyone who cared to share, True was born on May 15th. Where their debut Amoral was more of a sonic, free-form collage, True is light, soft and cavernous. The overall feel is one of gentle insistence and stylistic variance – anywhere from early Sonic Youth to 60’s doo-wop to The Stooges to a hint of the edgy 90s Merge bands with an overarching 80s tonal vibe. That may seem too influentially schizophrenic but somehow Violens is able to blend all these styles into such a smooth package it feels like you are listening to a new take on your own familiarity. Not an easy task! After a short release tour on the east coast with fellow soft-trancers Lower Dens, Violens is headed this way to play The California Academy of the Sciences weekly series, NightLife with local band Weekend. This is pretty much the perfect backdrop for a band like Violens – check it out.

Violens and Weekend play the California Academy of the Sciences on Thursday, May 31st. Doors are at 7pm. Tickets are $12 ($10 for Academy members). NightLife takes place Thursday nights (6-10pm) at the California Academy of Sciences. Music, Creatures and Cocktails. 21+

• Tag: Nightlife, Slumberland, Video, Violens, Weekend